MSI LIGHTNING graphics cards are engineered for perfection. Using the best components and industry-leading design principles, MSI LIGHTNING graphics cards are the top in the overclocking world for years. Advanced cooling, new features and a quality experience make it the default choice for those looking for the best performance.

TriFrozr Thermal Design

The new MSI TriFrozr Thermal Design is a cooling masterpiece. To deliver the best possible thermal performance, the new TriFrozr is equipped with two 90mm and one 80mm fan that cool the enormous fin grid array below it. Seven 8mm SuperPipes transfer heat directly from the GPU to the fin grid array. Designed to dissipate 550W of heat, the TriFrozr is guaranteed to keep your GPU cool in your quest for maximum performance.

Independent fan control

Independent fan control allows for finer control of fan speeds. This increases your flexibility when it comes to customizing your own fan settings and it allows the LIGHTNING graphics card to respond quicker when temperatures rise in certain parts of the graphics card.

Airflow Control Technology

The aluminium fin grid array of the thermal design features special grooves that prevent thermodynamic "dead air" situations. This maximizes the use of airflow and efficiency of the available cooling surface and enhances heat pipe performance because of the directed airflow.

Propeller Blade Technology

MSI Propeller Blade fans have 20% more airflow than traditional fans and disperse the cooling air over a larger area. In turn, the heat sink and heat pipes benefit from more cool air and this increases its efficiency.

Triple load level indicator

A different load, a different light. With the triple load level indicator, you can see how many Watts are running through your LIGHTNING's veins. The illuminated color on the top side of the Lightning changes to Green, Blue and Red color, depending on the load and the intensity of usage.

< 150WIdle/2D

> 150W
< 210WLight gaming

> 210WGaming/OC

Enhanced Power Design

Both GPU and Memory are powered through the PCI Express Graphics power connectors. This eliminates noise or power ripple on the Graphics card's memory when overclocking and reduces interference and lowers stress on the Motherboards power delivery circuitry.

Military Class 4 components

The key deciding factor in performance is stability. The higher your stability, the higher your performance can be. MSI exclusively uses Military Class 4 components to power the LIGHTNING. These components are MIL-STD-810G certified and have proven to be able to withstand the torturous conditions of extreme overclocking.

DrMOS

DrMOS is the next-gen MOSFET which is used to deliver power to the GPU. DrMOS does not waste much power, stays cool and is more power efficient than other powersaving solutions. Because DrMOS is a 3-in-1 chip it delivers much more power with less components needed. This solution gives you the power to break world records.

Copper Mos

This latest technology of MOSFETS are built on a copper packaged principle which dissipate heat fast evenly and make sure the right voltages hit the right components on the MSI Lightning graphics card.

Hi-c CAP

A Hi-c CAP is a very small, but super-efficient capacitor. Besides ensuring enough spacing around a CPU socket to install large coolers, it also allows for 93% energy efficiency. Thanks to Hi-c CAP's MSI motherboards are the most energy efficient in the market.

Super Ferrite Chokes

Super Ferrite Chokes use a Ferrite core that is Super-Permeable. This allows the Super Ferrite Chokes to run at a 35 degree Celsius lower temperature, have a 30% higher current capacity, a 20% improvement in power efficiency and better overclocking power stability.

Dark CAP

With their aluminum core design, Dark CAP's have been a staple in high-end design mainboard designs and provides lower Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) as well as its over-10-year lifespan.

PCB Design

The MSI LIGHTNING PCBs are the envy of the industry. To house the dramatic amount of 20 phases, a LIGHTNING PCB is made from scratch and designed to deliver the highest stability when overclocking. Thanks to its design, it doesn't require any external modifications to reach world-record breaking performance, making it much easier for an overclocker to start his benchmarking runs.

Power supply

Reference design

MSI LIGHTNING

Memory power

Shared with PLL from PCI Express Bus

Separate power pins for GPU and Memory, PLL uses power from slot

PWM controllers

1 for the whole card

1 for GPU power, 1 for memory and PLL

System influence

Memory OC will increase power noise on motherboard

Motherboard not affected by GPU & Memory OC

LN2 MODE

The core ideology of LIGHTNING is the ability to break world records, easily. Thanks to a single BIOS switch, a LIGHTNING graphics card is ready for extreme performance, by tripling or quadrupling the Power, Current and Thermal limits of the card. This simply means you can extract maximum performance out of your card without the risk of damaging it through soldering or other hard-mods.

Original mode

200W Core Power Limit

240A Current Limit

250W TDP Limit

Factory OC

LN2 mode

900W Core Power Limit

800A Current Limit

xxxW TDP Limit

3x3 Kit

Using MSI Afterburner you're in complete control of your graphics card. Being able to read out correct speeds, voltages and temperatures is essential

Triple Overvoltage

Through MSI's unique design you can apply voltages to not only the GPU and Memory, but also an auxiliary voltage that is relevant to your card's extreme performance.

V-Check points

V-Check points allow you to accurately measure the voltages of your graphics card as software will always show a small variance and this can be disastrous under wrong circumstances.

Triple Temp Monitor

Measuring your GPU temperature is pretty common nowadays, but what is the temperature of your memory? Or your PWM phases? Find out with MSI's Triple Temp Monitor function.

The specifications may differ from areas and we keep the right to change without notice. Please check the specific specification with your local dealers.

The color of the product might be affected by photography and the monitor's setting, which might be different from the real product.

Along the review as you read, MSI Radeon R9 290X LIGHTNING has amazing performance with lowest temperature and noise because of monster Tri-Frozr MSI cooling solution, it looks great, and in addition, I should explain this monster cooling easily can handl...

Along the review as you read, MSI Radeon R9 290X LIGHTNING has amazing performance with lowest temperature and noise because of monster Tri-Frozr MSI cooling solution, it looks great, and in addition, I should explain this monster cooling easily can handl...

“In short, this is a graphics card more top of the range there, where every detail has been thought out and nothing was left to chance. Your price is somewhat high, 630€, but the amount payable by the sheer quality and potential of this product.„

In short, this is a graphics card more top of the range there, where every detail has been thought out and nothing was left to chance. Your price is somewhat high, 630€, but the amount payable by the sheer quality and potential of this product.

“It has offered a more surprising raw power, is able to move any type of game reaching 120 fps. Regarding the price, which is around € 650, quite high, but this is a graph of a great power, carries a standard of outstanding quality.„

“It's a high-end graphics card, it 's a completely ready to satisfy high performance requirements, encouraging and facilitating the practice of extreme overclockin graph. With all the guarantees of safety and durability.„

“New graphics card "Lightning" of MSI will allow to make a real game storm in early May. If you choose the maximum speed graphics card with the top chip AMD, the considered model definitely deserves attention.„

MSI R9 290X Lightning is a very powerful card that can handle anything you throw at it. While the price may turn some gamers away, the power that comes with it is non-negotiable and that's why it is worth the price for the quality it brings.
In the mark...

“So outstanding performance is realized not only by the powerful cooling, but also thanks to the unique PCB design with modified and enhanced power system. Lightning will please the users with an enhanced monitoring capability and increased overclocking f...

“MSI has always been one of our favorite brands when it comes to video cards due to the simple fact that they have some of the best series on the market. ”
“M SI doesn't offer anything that is going to cause problems to the card in terms of voltages, s...

“Incidentally, the R9 290X Lightning works with 1080/2500MHz, making it the most powerful Hawaii card on the market - and potentially also the most tuning friendly candidate.„
“Our measurement protocol detcts max 74 degrees core temperature and 77 degree...